THIS is a big week for the Government and an important week for the country. As the Hutton Inquiry enters its second week, the full glare of the spotlight will be on Prime Minister Tony Blair's closest aides.

Tomorrow, after a weekend of further "disclosures" and claims, Downing Street's director of communications and strategy, Alastair Campbell, will be called to give evidence.

And both the Government and the country know that it's time for the spinning to stop.

People need to know exactly what Downing Street's role in the compilation of the Iraq dossiers, was.

This is no longer just about the death of weapons expert Dr David Kelly, tragic as that was. It is about why Britain went to war and whether parliament and the public was deceived.

If Mr Blair is to regain the trust of the British people, what is said to the inquiry the week will be as crucial as his own evidence on his return from holiday.

Mr Campbell, who has been at the centre of who said and wrote what, is facing new claims of inconsistencies in his account of exactly when he first saw the intelligence dossier and its controversial claim that some of Saddam Hussein's alleged weapons of mass destruction could be launched within 45 minutes of an order being issued.

Before he does so, the inquiry will today question the Ministry of Defence director of news Pam Teare, Mr Blair's chief of staff Jonathan Powell, and his foreign affairs adviser, Sir David Manning.

Mr Powell and Sir David were circulated with key Whitehall memoranda on how to deal with Dr Kelly.

Mr Powell spoke by telephone with Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon to discuss the case the day before Ministry of Defence managers interviewed Dr Kelly for the first time about his contacts with BBC journalist Andrew Gilligan.

Ms Teare is likely to face questions as to how Dr Kelly's name was released to journalists.

On Wednesday, the inquiry will hear from the Prime Minister's official spokesman Tom Kelly, who had to make a public apology to Dr Kelly's family ahead of his funeral after notoriously describing the late scientist as a "Walter Mitty" -style fantasist.

Mr Kelly's fellow prime ministerial spokesman, Godric Smith, will also appear, as will Sir Kevin Tebbit, the permanent under secretary at the Ministry of Defence.

Sir Kevin ordered officials in the MoD to try to find out the source of the BBC story - eventually identified as Dr Kelly.

He advised Mr Hoon not to require Dr Kelly to give evidence in public to the Commons foreign affairs committee, but was overruled.

The Defence Secretary's decision to override Sir Kevin's advice has prompted renewed speculation that ultimately the affair may finish his Cabinet career.

And on Thursday the inquiry will hear from Donald Anderson, the Labour MP who chairs the foreign affairs committee - which gave Dr Kelly such a rough ride just days before he apparently took his own life.

The inquiry does not sit on Friday, but that is another three full days away - and a lot can happen between then and now.